Machine for cutting and stacking sheet metal and the like



May 7, 1929.

J. H. YOUNG ET AL MACHINE FOR CUTTING AND STACI (ING SHEET METAL AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 4, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet m WI 25 y 7, 1929- J. H. YOUNG ET AL 1,712,241

MACHINE FOR CUTTING AND STACKING SHEET METAL AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 May 7, 1929- J. H. YOUNG ET AL MACHINE FOR CUTTING AND STACKING SHEET METAL AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented May 7, 1929.

THE IBORDEN COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.,

MACHINE FOR CUTTING AND STACKING SHEET METAL THE LIKE.

Application filed August 4, 1926. Serial No. 126,990.

The invention relates to an improvement in machines for cutting and stacking sheet metal and the like, and more particularly to an improvement in machines for cutting and stacking for subsequent treatment the tin plate out of which are formed the body portions of cans and other containers.

Une object of the invention is to provide a machine of this type with improved means for feeding to it large sheets of metal which are to be slit or cut into blanks of the requisite shape and size. Another object of the invention is to provide a sheet cutting or slitting machine with means for turnmg or inverting certain of the cut blanks so that the burrs on the lateral edges of the blanks will all point in the samedirection, thereby facilitating subsequent operations on the blanks. As these machines have been constructed heretofore, an operative has been required to turn over or invert certain of the blanks so as to cause the burred lateral edges of all the blanks to point in the same direction. A further object of the invention is to provide a machine of this type with means for receiving the blanks and stackingthem 1n a hopper from which they are fed into the can body forming machine. Since the cuttmg machine operates to discharge the blanks edges of the blanks all point in the same direction, the conveying and stacking means operate to keep the blanks in this same position relatively to each other and stack them up with their burrcd edges all pointing 1n one direction, preferably downwardly. These objects and other objects incidental to their accomplishment are carried out in the improved machinefor cutting and stacking sheet metal hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

ln the accompanying drawings illustrating the preferred form of the invention, Fig. 1 is atop plan of the entire machine, showing the improved means for feeding the large sheets of tin plate or other metal to the slittlng mechanism, the cutters for cutting the plate into the body blanks, the means for inverting each second or alternate body blank, the conveyor "and the devices for stacking the body blanks; Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the machine shown in Fig. 1, with certain of the parts removed for .clearness of illustration; Fig. 3 is i a section on an enlarged scale taken along the line 38 of Fig. 1," 1g. 4t 13 an enlarged therefrom so that the burrs on the lateral front elevation of one of the body blank guides; Fig. 5 is a vertical, longitudinal sec- 131011 on an enlarged scale through the hopper n which the body blanks are stacked; Fig. 6 1s a front elevation of the improved machine,

looking from the right in Fi 1, with the stacking mechanism removed; *ig. 7 is a de tail of part of the sheet feeding devices; Fig. 8 1s a top plan of the movable bottom of the sheet carryingtruck; Fig. 9 is a longitudinal section through the sheet carrying truck; and Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the upper end of the body blank conveyor, and of the upper end of the hopper in which the body blanks are stacked.

The improved machine for cutting and stacking blanks, as illustrated in the drawings, comprises a sheet feeding mechanism generally indicated at 12, slitting devices 13, sheet or plate advancing means 14, a series of rotary cutters 15, the devices 16 for invertmg each alternate blank, the conveyors 17 and 18, and the blank stacking mechanism 19. The feeding mechanism 12 operates to supply the machine with the large sheets of tin plate or the like. The slitting devices 13 divide each sheet into two parts or plates and 21 which are advanced by themeans 14 to the cutters 15 by which'the plates are slit into body blanks of the requisite shape and size. These cutters 15 operate as usual in machines of this type and the plates are slit in such fashion that the burrs on the longitudinal, lateral edgesof each alternate blank project in the same direction, the burrs on the first blank projecting upwardly and the burrs on the next blank projecting downwardly, and in like'order throughout the series. The devices 16 operate to invert the first and subsequent alternate blanks so that the lateral edges will point in the same direction as the burrs on the other blanks. The blanks are carried by the conveyors 17 and 18 to the stacking mechanism 19 Where they are piled one on top of another in a hopper from which they are fed to the body making machine.

The sheets 23 of tin plate or the liketo be cut into the bodyblanks are carried to themachine on a truck 24- which forms part of the sheet feeding mechanism. The truck comprises a body part 25 supported on the wheels 26 adapted to run on the tracks 2? which are in alinement with the upper part of the mechanism which transfers the sheets from the truck into the machine. The truck is manipuburrs on their lOU ire

lated and guided by means of the handle 28. By making the truck which carries the load of tin plate to the machine a part of the sheet feeding mechanism the machine is enabled to run for a longer period of time without attendance than it is possible for similar machines provided with sheet feeding mechanism as heretofore constructed.

The sheets are transferred from the truck and fed into the machine by means of the transfer mechanism comprising a plurality of inverted suction cups 30 mounted on the lower ends of the vertically arranged tubes 31 connected by the tra'nsverse pipes 32. A flexibletube 33 connects the transverse pipes 32 with the lower end of a vertical cylinder 34 of a vacuum pump by which a suction is created in the caps 30 suflicient to lift and hold a sheet of tin plate. In the cylinder 34 works a piston 35 to the upper end of which is pivotally connected the lower end of a rod 36 the upper end of which is connected with a crank arm 37 mounted on one end of a shaft 38 journaled in the upper ends of the uprights 39. The shaft 38 is driven by a chain 40 one end of which passes over a sprocket wheel 41 fixed on the shaft 38 and the other end of which passes over a sprocket wheel 42 fixed on the end of a shaft 43 mounted in bearings 44 supported on the .longitudinalpieces 45 forming part of the frame work of this part of the machine. The longitudinal pieces 45 are supported by the uprights 46. The shaft 43 is driven by the motor 48.

The suction cups 30 are lowered into contact with the uppermost sheet of the pile of sheets 23 on the truck, at which time the vacuum device operates to withdraw the air from the cups so that they will lift the sheet. The cups carrying the sheet are then raised and momentarily held stationary so that the sheet may be injected into the machine. The

-, means for lowering and raising the suction cups comprises a vertically arranged rod 50 connected at its lower end with the supporting means for the cups 30 and carrying onits upper end a cam roll 51 which rides on a cam 52 mounted on the shaft 38. The rod 50 is guided in its vertical movements by bifurcating its upper end, as at 53, to straddlethe shaft 38.

The means for feeding the raised sheet into the machine comprises a finger 55 extending downwardly from a head 56 mounted to slide on a longitudinally extending rod 57 support ed at its ends in the upper ends of the uprights 46. The lower end 58 of the finger 55 is offset and extends rearwardly toward the machine and is provided with a recess which lies .in the plane occupied by the sheet which is held raised by the caps 30. When the head 56 is suddenly moved rearwardly toward the machine the recessed lower end 58 of the finger 55 strikes the raised sheet (which is then released by the suction cups) and carries it.

over the guides 59 supported from the machine frame and into engagement with the feed rolls 60. The means for reciprocating the head 56 on the rod 57 comprises an arm 62 the lower end of which is bifurcated to straddle the head 56 and the upper end of which is fixed on a shaft 63 journaled in one pair of the uprights 39. The shaft 63 is oscillated by acam 64 mounted on the shaft 38 and provided with a cam path (not shown) in which projects a pin carried by an arm 65 straddling at its upper end the shaft 38 and pivotally connected at its lower end with an arm 66 fixed on the shaft 63. The parts for raising the sheet of tin plate and for advancing it into position to be engaged by the feed rolls 60 are, constructed and operate substantially as the corresponding parts in Patent 1,171,011, dated February 8, 1916.

The improvements in this sheet feeding mechanism forming part of the present invention comprise means for raising the pile of sheets from the truck so as to hold the upper end of the pile substantially on the same level until all the sheets have been fed into the machine. For this purpose the truck 24 is rovided with a movable bottom 68. Exten ing laterally from the bottom 68 are ears 69 by which the plate is guided in the vertical slots 70 formed in the side walls 71 of the truck. The means for lifting the bottom 68 of the truck comprises two elevating members 73 each of which is arranged parallelly with its corresponding side wall of the track and is provided with two inwardly projecting fingers 74 which extend under the cars 69 of the truck bottom. The elevatin members 73 are raised and lowered by tie jack screws 75 journaled at their lower ends in the base pieces 76, and at their upper ends in the bearings 77 forming part of the frame work of the sheet feeding mechanism. On the upper ends of the screws 75 are fixed the miter gears 78 which mesh with the miter gears 79 fixed on a shaft 80 journaled in arms extending from the brackets 77. On the shaft 80 is a ratchet wheel 81 adapted to be engaged by a pawl 82 carried by a vertically arranged rod 83 the upper end of which is formed as a strap and embraces an eccentric 84 mounted on the shaft 38. The eccentric 84 is arranged to work in timed relation with the cam 52 and the crank 37. Each actuation of the pawl 82 raises the pile of sheets 23 the thickness of one sheet. When the bottom 68 of the truck has been raised to present the last sheet resting thereon to the cups 30, it may be lowered onto the truck again by means of a crank 85 mounted on the projecting end of the shaft 80.

When a fresh load of sheets 23 of tin plate is brought to the machine the truck 24 is moved along the rails 27 until the openings 70 in the sides 71 of the truck are in alinement with the fingers 74 of the elevating members. The operative will then turn the crank 85 untllthe fingers 7 4 are moved upwardly into engagement with the under surfaces of the ears 69 of the truck bottom 68. When' the feeding mechanism is started in operation the frame carrying the suction cups 30 is lowered to bring them into contact with the uppermost sheet onthe pile. Before the cups rise again the vacuum device operates to create a suction in the cups so that as the cups rise they carry with them the topmost "sheet. Thereupon the finger 55 is actuated to kick or shove the sheet into position to be engaged by the feed rolls 60, the vacuum in the cups being broken as the finger 55 strikes the sheet.

' When all the sheets of tin plate have been 'delivered into the machine the crank 85 to lower the fingers 74 to return the truck bottom to normal position.

The sheets of tin plate delivered to the rolls 60 are fed by them to the rotary cutters 87 by which they are cut into the two plates 20 and 21 and their lateral edges trimmed off. The

which they are fe upper members of the .cutters 87 are mounted on the shaft 43 and the lower members are located on a shaft directly below the shaft 43. On one end of the shaft 43 is a gear 88 which drives through a gear (not shown) the gear 89 mounted on one end of the shaft carrying the upper member of the rolls and also drives through a gear (not shown) the gear 90 mounted on the shaft which carries the upper member of the pair of rolls 91 by which the divided sheet is delivered into the sheet advancing means 14. As the two parts or plates 20 and 21 of the sheet are delivered into the sheet advancing means 14 a member 92 angular in cross-section separates the two parts of the sheet so as to permit them to be advanced separately by the member 93 of the advancing mechanism, the construction and mode of operation of which is fully described in said patent. It is suflicient for the present description to understand that the plates are advanced along the runway constituted by the framework generally indicated at 14 (Fig. 1) until the to the slitting cutters 15. The cutters 15, as described in said patent, operate to slit or out each plate into a number of body blanks, in the present instance, four. The cutters are mounted on shafts which are driven by the chain 95 actuated from any convenient source-of power. On one end of the shaft 96 carrying the upper members of the cutters is mounted a gear which serves, through the gears 97 and chains 98 to drive the rolls 94 .and 99 The rolls 99 serve to withdraw the can blanks from the cutters 15 and deliver them to the blankinverting devlces. 1

The body blanks into which each part or section of the sheet of, tin plate is cut by the cutters 15 are delivered by the rolls 99 onto the operative turns blanks 109 and reach the feed rolls 94 by the three supports 100, 101 and 102, extending beyond the cutters and in line with the path of travel of the blanks through the cutters. The first support 100 is in line with the first pair of cutters 104, the 101 is in line with the third 105 and the third support 102 is in line with the fifth pair of cutters 106. From this arrangement it will be understood that only one lateral edge of each body blank is supported, the other lateral edge being unsupported. By reference to Fig. 3 it will be seen that the right hand lateral edge of the first body blank pair of cutters '108 rests on the support 100, that the left hand on the middle support 101 adjacent to the.

left hand edge of'the body blank 109, and that the left hand edge of the fourth body blank 111 rsts on the third support 102. It will be seen further that the left and right hand lateral edges of blanks 108 and 109, and of blanks 110 and 111, respectively, are unsupported. The supports 100, 101, and 102 serve to prevent the forward ends of the blanks from descending until the rear ends thereof have been delivered from the rolls 99. It will be understood that the blanks are discharged or shot from the rolls 99 with considerable velocity, so that they are m0men tarily held up or supported on the supports in the relative position in which they pass through the cutters. .VVhen the force with which the rolls 99 deliver the blanks onto the supports is. exhausted, then the blanks fall by gravity through the openings between the supports. The devices of the present invention, as will be presently described, operate to invert blanks 108 and 110 so that the burrs on their lateral edges will point in thesame direction as the burrs on the lateral edges of 111. will be clearly seen, by reference to Fig. 3, that the burrs 112 on the lateral edges of blanks 108 and 110 extend upwardly and that the burrs 113 on the lateral edges of the blanks 109 and 111 extend downwardly when the blanks are delivered from the cutters.

The body blank supports are secured at their ends mule ,u per inside edges of the two transverse guid ie walls or. rails 115 and 116 supported on the upper ends of the upri hts 117 rising from the floor. The upper ed ge of the wall or rail 116 is high enough to act as a stop to prevent the blanks froxn passing beyond the wall 116. Extending inthe sprocket wheels 122 mounted on the shaft" 123 journaled in brackets 124 extending from the guide walls and the other end of the consecond support In this connection it' veyor chains pass over s rocket wheels 126 mounted on the shaft 127 ]ournaled in brack ets 128 extending from the guide walls. The shaft 127 is driven through the miter gear 129 by the miter gear 130 mounted on one end supports less than the width of a body blank,

til

so that when the blanks 108 and 110 have been fully delivered onto the supports and their unsupported left hand edges fall by gravity toward and onto the conveyor chains their right hand edges (now their f upper edges) willbe prevented by the supports 100 and 101 from-falling in a clockwise direction, viewing Fig. 3. Consequently the lower edges of the blanks 108 and 110 having been engaged and carried forward by the conveyor chains, the now upper edges of the blanks will fall in a counter-clockwise direction. Thus the blanks 108 and 110 are inverted or turned over so that the burrs on their lateral edges point in the same direction as the burrs on the lateral edges of the blanks 109 and The body blanks 109 and 111 are caused to descend onto the conveyor chains in the samej 7 relative position in which they are delivered from the cutters. For this purpose there are provided under the supports 101 and 102 'two spaced downwardly and forwardly extending blank guides or chutes 132 projecting inwardly from the side walls 115 and 116. The guides 132 extend in the direction of travel of the conveyor chains. Each guide is curved slightlyand is provided on its inner edge with a 'raised flange-like part 133 to eliminate friction and thereby facilitate the travel of the blanks down the guides and onto the conveyor chains.

The lower end 134 of each guide terminates short of the vertical plane of the left hand edge of the supports 100 and 101 a distance sufficient to permit the left hand lateral edges of the blanks 108 and 110 to fall onto the conveyor chains. When the body blanks have been fully delivered onto their supports by the rolls 99, the

unsupported right hand edges of the blanks 109 and 111 fall by gravity onto the guides 132, the left hand edges being temporarily held by the supports 101 and 102. Under the action of gravity the blanks 109 and 111 continue to fall, sliding down the guides 132 until their right hand edges are engaged'by the conveyor chains by which the blanks are pulled; forward off the lower ends of the guides. Thus the blanks 109 and 111 are delivered onto the conveyor chains in the same relative position in which they are delivered from the cutters.

The body blanks with the burrs on their lateral edges all pointing .in the same direc tion are stacked in the hopper 136 of the blank stacking mechanism 19. The hopper 136 is a vertically arranged receptacle the open upper end of which is on a higher level than the upper sections of the chains of the conveyor 17 The body blanks are delivered into the stacking mechanism 19 by the obliquely aranged conveyor 18, the discharge end of which is on a higher level than the upper end of the hopper 136 and the receiving end of which is located under the discharge end of the conveyor 17. The obliquely arranged conveyor 18 comprises the chains 137 the upper ends of which pass over the sprockets 138 mounted on the shaft 139 journaled in the brackets 140 supported from the uprights 141, and the lower ends of which pass over the sprockets 142 fixed on the shaft 143 journaled in the brackets 144 supported from the uprights 145. The upper sections of the chains 137 rest on the rails 147 supported from the uprights 141 and 145 and the lateral walls or guides 148 are )rovided to prevent the displacement of t e body blanks from the conveyor chains. In order that the blanks may not slip backward during their elevation up to the hopper the conveyor chains 137 are provided with the lugs 149. The conveyor 18 is driven by a chain 151 the lower end of which passes over a sprocket 152 fixed on the outer end of the shaft 123 and the upper end of which passes over a sprocket fixed on the shaft 139. As the body blanks slide down off the discharge end of the conveyor chains 120 and 121 they pass onto the lower or receiving end of the conveyor 18 and the lugs 149 serve to carry them to the upper end of the conveyor 18, whence they are discharged into the open up 'er end of the hopper 136.

o assure the proper delivery of the body blanks from the discharge end of the conveyor 18 into the upper end of the hopper 136 we provide the disks 154 located between the discharge end of the conveyor 18 and the hopper 136 and mounted on a shaft 155 journaled in the ends of the brackets 140. The shaft 155 is driven at a higher rate of speed than the shaft 139 by means of a chain 156 which passes over a sprocket 157 fixed on the shaft 139 and over a sprocket .158 fixed on the shaft 155. The sprocket 158 is smaller than the sprocket 157 from which it is driven. The action of the rotating disks 154 is to throw the body blanks forward into the open upper end of the hopper 136 on an oblique plane.

In order that the blanks delivered into the upper end of the hopper 136 may descend therein in such fashion as to pile up in an evenly and properly arranged stack, the

' with all the blanks properly positioned therein. Mounted to oscillate 1n the open spaces 160 of the upper ends of the narrower sides 161 of the rectangular hopper 136 is a pair of arms 162 having on their lower ends the inwardly projecting blank supports 163 on which the ends of the blanks are adapted to rest until they assume a horizontal position. The arms 162 are fixed at their upper ends on the shafts 164 journaled in the bearings 165 formed on the upper ends of the side walls 161 of the hopper. The inner end of each shaft 164 is offset laterally and carries a cam roll 166 engaged by a cam 167. The two cams 167 are mounted on the outer ends of the shaft 155. So long as the peripheries of the cams 167 are in engagement with the cam rolls 166 the arms 162 are held inwardly in their blank supporting position, as shown in Fig. 5. This length of time is sufficient to permit the blank to come to rest in a horizontal position before "it is released and permitted to descend onto the stack 169 of blanks in the hopper. To swing the arms 162 outwardly to release the body blanks held by them, each shaft 164 is provided with a torsion spring 170 operative to swing its arm 162 outwardly when the notch or depression 171 in its corresponding cam-167 moves opposite the cam roll 166. One end of each torsion spring 170 is fixed to its shaft and the other end is fixed in the bearing 165. To prevent the body blanks thrown forward by the disks 154 from passing beyond the forward edge. of the hopper 136 the stops 17 4 are provided, the upper ends of which are broken off in Fig. 11.

The body blanks may be taken one at a time from the open lower end of the hopper 136 and fed into the body forming machine by means of an apparatus generally indicated at 175 in Fig. 2, the construction and mode of operation of which is described in Patent No.

' 1,218,034, dated March 6, 1917.

Having thus described the invention what we claim as new is 1. In a machine of the class described having means for advancing a sheet and cutters for-slitting the sheet into blanks of the required size, said cutters operating to cause the burrs on the lateral edges of the odd numbered blanks to point in one direction and the burrs on the lateral edges of the even numbered blanks to point in the opposite direction, and means for turning over each alternate blank so that the burrs on the lat era-1 edges of all the blanks will point 1n the same direction.

2. In a machine of the class described having means for feeding, a sheet and a series of cutters for slitting the sheet into blanks of the requisite size, said cutters operating to cause the burrs on the lateral edges of the alternate blanks to point in opposite directions, a series of relatively narrow supports each blank, a series of guides extending downwardly from the underside of the supports and projecting toward the vertical planes of the preceding supports, and a conveyor traveling in the direction in which the guides point located under the supports and spaced therefrom less than the width of a blank.

3. In a machine of the class described having means for feeding a sheet and a series of rotary cutters for slitting the sheet into blanks of the requisite size, said cutters operating to cause the burrs on the lateral edges of the alternate blanks to point in opposite directions, a relatively narrow support proj ecting beyond and in cutter, one lateral edge of each blank traveling. on a support as it leaves the cutters, a conveyor located under the supports and traveling transversely thereof, and a blank guide projecting downwardly from each support (except the first) and forwardly in the direction of travel of the conveyor.

4. In a machine of the class described having means for feeding a sheet and a series of rotarycutters for slitting the sheet into blanks of the requisite size, a relatively narrow support extending beyond and in line with each alternate cutter for supporting the adjacent lateral edges of two adjacent blanks until the blanks have advanced a predetermined distance beyond the cutters, a conveyor arranged under and transversely of the supports, and means under the recting each alternate blank only onto the conveyor in the same relative position in which it leaves the cutters.

5. In a machine of the class described having means for feeding a sheet and a series of rotary cutters for slitting the sheet into blanks of the requisite size, a series of relatively narrow supports extending beyond and in line with each alternate cutter for supporting the adjacent edges of two adj acent-blanks until the blanks reach a predetermined point beyond the cutters, a conveyor located under the supports and traveling transversely thereof, said conveyor being spaced from the under surfaces of the supports a distance less than the Width of the blanks, and a series of guides projecting downwardly from the supports and in the direction of the travel of the conveyor.

6. In a machine of the class described having sheet feeding means and a series of cutters for slitting the sheet into blanks of the requisite size, a relatively narrow support extend-' supports for diline with each alternate for directing each alternate blank only onto the receiving means in the same relative position in which it leaves the cutters.

' 7. In a machine of the class described having sheet feeding means and a series of cutters for slitting the sheet into blanks of the requisite size, means for supporting the blanks until they reach a, predetermined 

